TALKS between Unison and Great Western Ambulance Service have been described as "productive", but industrial action is still on the cards next week.

Following a meeting at mediation service Acas today, more discussions between the two parties have been arranged for Monday.

Unison members were due to strike tomorrow in protest at new shift patterns, but a legal challenge by GWAS lawyers meant the union would have had to go through the courts. Instead they hastily rearranged a strike for next Wednesday and issued a new statement of notice.

Union member Shane Clarke said the talks today, which ended at around 4pm, had been ‘productive’ but that if talks broke down next week the strike would definitely go ahead.

GWAS had put forward a package of measures to resolve the dispute but Unison said it was not enough.

A spokesman said: "Unison believes that the package falls short of what our members deserve. The trust has not offered sufficient movement to solve the industrial dispute. As a result we cannot recommend the proposals to our members."

An emergency care assistant from Gloucestershire said: "Having just read the trust’s response it seems evident yet again that the trust have not listened to what has been said and feel that they can solve the situation with a shoddy half-hearted response with no thought given to staff or patient welfare yet again."

Unison's regional organiser Simon Newell said: "The trust management’s refusal to negotiate seriously and to waste public money on hiring lawyers rather than sit down with us to resolve this dispute is indicative of their apparent contempt for meaningful negotiations.

"Rather than inflaming this dispute they need to put a meaningful solution on the table, or respond to the many solutions we ourselves have put forward.”

GWAS chief executive David Whiting said the service was determined to find a solution.

"We are keen to avoid industrial action and committed to finding an amicable alternative to Unison’s dispute, for the benefit of our staff and the patients we serve."

Mr Whiting said the changes in shift patterns would be better for staff and provide more cover for patients.

"The changes we are making are about saving more lives," he said.

"To do that, we need to ensure we have the trained staff and vehicles available when and where our patients need us."